The present invention pertains to an apparatus for signalling a strike or a loss of bait caused by a fish while jug-fishing, float fishing, pier fishing, trot-line fishing, or trolling. In its presently preferred embodiment, the invention is used for jug-fishing at night.
Jug-fishing is a pleasurable pasttime and a productive activity engaged in by fishermen of all ages and in all parts of the country. Customarily, a fishing line with a sinker and one or more baited hooks is secured to a capped jug or bottle full of air. The air-filled vessel floats on the top of the water and performs several functions, one of which is that the jug or bottle is visible to the fisherman to mark the location of his line, sinker and baited fishing hooks.
A second function performed by the floating vessel is that its buoyant force operates to "set" a fishing hook in the mouth of a fish as the fish gulps the bait on the hook, pulling up on the hook as the fish pulls downward or sideways upon the baited hook. A very strong fish will sometimes pull a hook, line, sinker, and jug many hundreds of yards away from the initial location in which it was placed by the hopeful fisherman.
Numerous problems are encountered by fishermen who attempt jug-fishing at night. The fisherman must keep a constant watch on his various jugs in order to see where they are located and whether something may be caught on his various hooks. Sometimes, he must tediously pull up the lines to discover whether or not his hooks remain baited. Many jug-fishermen use spotlights for frequent searching to locate their errant jugs and lines. At night a jug or bottle dragged any considerable distance by a fish may remain lost to the fisherman who has no way of discovering its location other than that of searching with a spotlight. These various problems and disadvantages encountered while engaged in the traditional sport of jug-fishing may be overcome by providing a battery operated signal which can be inserted into a jug or bottle attached to a float, or attached to any object adjacent or extending over water, which can be activated by the tug or pull of a fish on a line connected to the signal.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel means for identifying jugs or bottles at night having attached lines with baited hooks which have sustained the strike of a fish.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a means for locating a jug or bottle which, when a fish has been caught upon an attached hook and line, has been displaced from its originally placed location.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for jug-fishing at night which is simple and easy to perform, requiring less effort and time than previously known methods for jug-fishing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which can be used with a bottle or jug having any size or neck configuration, for indicating the strike of a fish while jug-fishing at night.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which will indicate to a user when it is necessary to re-bait a hook while jug-fishing at night.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a signalling apparatus which can be secured to a pier, post, marker, or a manufactured article such as a styrofoam float which is activated by the strike of a fish.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a signalling apparatus which can be secured to a trotline to indicate the strike of a fish or a loss of bait taken by a fish.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a signalling apparatus which can be used while trolling or surf-fishing, to indicate the strike of a fish or a loss of bait taken by a fish.
These and other objects and advantages will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following disclosures.